Tweet
<SPAN class=art-title2>Roberto Carlos to leave Real Madrid</SPAN> <TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=5 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=paddingall><TD vAlign=top>
<SPAN class=textblack11px_normal>Roberto Carlos has confirmed that he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after 11 years with the club.
</SPAN><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>(AFP)</SPAN> <SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>Jaime REINA
</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">(REUTERS)</SPAN> <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">09 Mar 2007</SPAN>
<SPAN class=art-text>Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos has said he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after 11 years at the club.
"I'm not going to renew my contract. I think the moment has come for me to put an end to my time at the club and leave them to start a new project," the 33-year-old told sports daily Marca on Friday.
"I'm sure about it. My time at Real Madrid has ended. After three years without winning anything I had to take a decision."
The former Brazil international said he had not yet decided where he would continue his career.
"I don't know whether I will continue in Europe or maybe I need to be back in Brazil close to my family.
Roberto Carlos joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan in 1996 during Fabio Capello's first spell as coach at the club.
Since then he has been a fixture in the team, winning three European Cups, three league titles and two FIFA ClubWorld ClubChampionships during his time at the club.
He has made more appearances for Real than any other foreign-born player and has been a prolific goalscorer despite being a defender, notching up 45 goals in the league and 15 in the UEFA Champions League.
He quit international soccer after Brazil's 1-0 FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat by France last year.
He picked up a calf injury during Real's 2-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday and will be out of action for between three and four weeks.
Real signed another Brazilian Marcelo to provide cover for Roberto Carlos in the January transfer window and youth team defender Miguel Torres has also filled in at left-back in recent games.
"My departure will help the youngsters like Marcelo and Miguel Torres," he said. "They are the future and have to be given a chance to develop. I have to look for motivation in another team, another country, another place."</SPAN>
</TD></TR><TR class=paddingall><TD vAlign=top>
<SPAN class=textblack11px_normal>Roberto Carlos has confirmed that he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after 11 years with the club.</SPAN><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>(AFP)</SPAN> <SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>Jaime REINA
</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">(REUTERS)</SPAN> <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">09 Mar 2007</SPAN>
<SPAN class=art-text>Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos has said he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after 11 years at the club.
"I'm not going to renew my contract. I think the moment has come for me to put an end to my time at the club and leave them to start a new project," the 33-year-old told sports daily Marca on Friday.
"I'm sure about it. My time at Real Madrid has ended. After three years without winning anything I had to take a decision."
The former Brazil international said he had not yet decided where he would continue his career.
"I don't know whether I will continue in Europe or maybe I need to be back in Brazil close to my family.
Roberto Carlos joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan in 1996 during Fabio Capello's first spell as coach at the club.
Since then he has been a fixture in the team, winning three European Cups, three league titles and two FIFA ClubWorld ClubChampionships during his time at the club.
He has made more appearances for Real than any other foreign-born player and has been a prolific goalscorer despite being a defender, notching up 45 goals in the league and 15 in the UEFA Champions League.
He quit international soccer after Brazil's 1-0 FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat by France last year.
He picked up a calf injury during Real's 2-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday and will be out of action for between three and four weeks.
Real signed another Brazilian Marcelo to provide cover for Roberto Carlos in the January transfer window and youth team defender Miguel Torres has also filled in at left-back in recent games.
"My departure will help the youngsters like Marcelo and Miguel Torres," he said. "They are the future and have to be given a chance to develop. I have to look for motivation in another team, another country, another place."</SPAN>